Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, the senior Republican in the United States Senate, introduced legislation to end the current implementation of new Resource Management Plans for Washington County.
Hatch’s bill also requires the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to restart the resource management planning process.
“A court-ordered deadline for publishing RMPs resulted in BLM rushing its plans from the start, cutting out local voices in the implementation process,” Hatch said. “Affected stakeholders are rightly upset. The RMPs not only fail to meet the needs of Washington County; they also present significant problems for the rapidly growing community. These RMPs will have lasting effects on people’s lives in one of the fastest growing areas in the country. That’s why we need to rethink this process and get it right. This legislation will send BLM back to the drawing board, paving the way for a reinvigorated proposal that will take into account local perspectives.”
This bill directs the BLM to restart the resource management planning process for the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area in Washington County. The legislation is supported by the Washington County Commission, Washington County Water Conservancy District, and the Mayor of St. George.
